Portable steam generator



f. @CL 23 1903 vv. G. CHAUSSE PORTABLE STEAM GENERATOR Filed April 25, 1947 Innentor ref! @yawfef M uee,

(Ittornegs a suitable door A(not shown). port the steam generator IU, the housing II has atenteci ct. 23, i951 UNITED srars PATENT oFF 2,572,317 IcE PORTABLE STEAM GENERATOR Wilfred G. Chaussre, Detroit, Mieli.- Appncation April 25, 1947, serial N3. Mass This invention relates to steam generators and in particular to portable steam generators.

One object of this invention is to provide a light-weight and compact steam generator which may be transported from place to place with ease is also provided with retractable wheels for use on stretches of bare ground.

Another object is to provide va portable steam generator wherein the generator is instantly movable from a horizontal transporting position to a vertical steam generating position and which is capable of producing sumcient steam in a very short period of time for thawing out frozen equipment, such as re hydrants, and rendering Y them usable in a shorter time than has heretofore been possible or practical.

Anotherobject is to provide an oil-fired portable steam generator as set forth in the preceding objects wherein the ventire generator is self-contained in a single unit, including tanks -i of Water and oil, the necessary pumps, oil burner,

and steam generatng coils.

In the drawings:

Figurel is a front elevation, partlyy insection,

. of a portable steam generator according to a preferred form of the invention, with thev ground wheels, in their retracted positions;

Figure 2 is a right-hand side elevation ofthe portable steam generator shown in Figure 1;

Figure Sis a horizontal cross-section take along the line 3-3 in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged approximately hori` zontal cross-sectiontaken along the line 4 4 in Figure 2 and showing the locking device for the retractable ground wheels.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures 1 and 2 show a portable steam generator, generally designated II), according to a preferred form of the invention as including a tubular w housing II with an annularconical top portion I2 terminating in a t'ubular"flue"`I3. The housing I I is provided with a cutaway opening I4 at the front thereof for rendering the interior accessible and this may be closed, if desired, by

Inorder to trans- Welded thereto a plurality of outer andinner struts or braces I5 and I6 respectively (Figure 3) converging toward one another and secured at their points of convergence I1 to a pair of runners I8.

Securedas by welding to the housing II is a tubular bearing member I9 (Figure 3) which is braced at its opposite ends by struts Welded at their upper or forward ends to the bearing Mounted in the bearing bore 2 Claims. (Cl. 122-4) tio'n 22 Yof an axle 23 having crank arms-24 tefminating in aligned end portions 25. Rotatably mounted upon the end portions V and secured thereto by the nuts 26 threaded thereon are the hubs 2'! of ground wheels 28 equipped with the usual rubber tires 29.

Due to the offset axes of the end portions 25 from the central portion 22 of the Vaxle 23,-the ground wheels 28 maybe swungV from the solid line position to the dotted line DQSition sl'folvvn in Figure 2 when it -is necessary to'move `the steam generator over stretches Vof :bare ground. In order to lock the ground wheels 28 in their lowest positions (Figures 2, 3 and 4), the bearing member I9 is provided withl an ear 3U welded theretor'in spacedy parallel rrelationship withl one of the struts 29, these having aligned holes-3| and 32 respectively (Figure 4) for slidably receiving a reciprocable locking bolt 33having a. bent handle portion 34. The locking bolt 33V is urged to the right in Figure 4 into its locking position by means of a coil spring 35 having one end abutting the ear and the other abutting the washer or annular shoulder 36 secured to the locking bolt` 33. Thus the boltv 33 Ymay be retracted with one hand and the ground wheels 28 moved into their supporting position with the other hand, the bolt 33 being releasedwhen the supporting position is reached, as showniby the dotted or chain lines in VFigure 2. Conversely, when the bolt is retracted, the crank arms 24 are permitted to swing upward into their retracted positions shown by the solid linesin i Figures `1 and 2, thereby enabling the runners burner nozzle 45 containing the spray orifice 145.

Mounted above the burner nozzle 45 is a tubular flame guide 4l secured toan angle bracket,

- the lower end of which is secured as by welding to the top of a water tank 49which is mounted y in the housing I I immediately abovethe oil tank 3'I. The water tank 4.9 is similarly providedwith an air pump 50 having a manually operable plunger 5I for supplying compressed air to the water tank 49 for the .purpose of forcing Water therefrom upward into the water supply pipe 52. The water tank 49 is also providedwith agfilling connection 53 closed by a cap 54.

The water under the pressure of the compressed air in the water tank 49 is forcedupward through the water supply pipe 52 and stop valve `55 into and through the spiral steam generator coils 56 .located immediately abovewthe burner nozzle 45 in the housing I I. The casing I I is providedwith a partition or Jbaffle 5l with a central 3 aperture 58 above the steam generator coils 56 and beneath the iiue I3. The outlet pipe 59 of the steam generating coil 56 passes upward through holes 60 and 6I in the baffle 51 and top I2 and terminates in a short lengthfof pipe 62 threaded to receive the hose connection 53 of a steam hose 64. The latter is equipped with any suitable nozzle (not shown) by which the steam may be applied to the equipment to be-thawed out.

From Figures l and 2 itl will be evident that the placing of the fuel tank 31 and water tank 49 superimposed upon one another at the bottom of the steamA generator maintains the center of gravity of the generator in the lowest possible position. This arises by reason of the fact that the liquid fuel and water are very heavy. By placing them at the lowest possible location in the steam generator, the danger of tipping over the generator-is minimized. Furthermore, it will also be evident from Figures 2 and 3 that the sled runner structure I5, I6, I8, 29 adds to the strength and rigidity of the steam generator by forming a bracing framework as Well as a rest and-,sled when the steam generator is in a horizontal position. Moreover, when the steam gen- In the operation of the invention, the fuel oilV and water tanks 31' and 49 are lled with fuel oil and water respectively. Assuming that the ground is snow or ice-covered, the ground wheels 28Y areretractedin the previously-described manner and the steam generator Iis tilted into a horizontal position, wherein the runners i6 rest upon the ice or snow-covered ground. The device is then towed to its location of use where, for example, it is desired to thaw out equipment such as adire-hydrant. The steam generator is then tilted up on end with its'housing I I vertical and its bottom portion B resting upon the ground. The stop valves 43 and 55 .are then .opened and the air pumps 40 and 5II-operated by reciprocating-their plungers 4I and`5I in order to compress the air in the upper portions ofth'e oil and water l tanks 31 and 49 respectively. The oil forced up throughv the oil supply pipe 42 emerges from the A, orice 46 of the nozzle 45 and is'ignited in any` conventional way such as by applying a lighted match thereto` The flame passing upward through the tubular flame guide 41Y heats thepreheating coil 44 and enhances the vaporzationof the fuel oil emerging from the nozzle 45. This results in an intensely hotflame which, passing through the steam generating coil 56 and outward through the aperture 58 and flue I3, changes the water in the coil 56 to steam. The steam thus generated flows upward through the pipes 59 and' 62 and outward through the steam hose64 to the nozzle, which has been directed at or into the equipment tobe thawed out.

By the use of this steam generator, it is now possible to thaw out a frozen fire hydrant in a very short period of time after the arrival of the steam generator. Thus, the hazard of being without water at the time of fires in extremely cold weather is eliminated where the cause of the water shortage is a frozen fire hydrant.

When it is necessary to tow the steam generator over bare ground, the ground wheels 28 are swung downward around the central portion 22 of the axis 23 as an axis, while the bolt 33 is retracted manually, one of the crank arms 24 being locked in its advance position by releasing the bolt 33 at the proper time. The ground wheels now occupy the dotted or chain line position-shown in Figure 2, raising the rearward ends of the runners I8 off the ground. The steam generator I0 may then be towed as a wheeled trailer over bare ground instead of being towed as a sled.

What -I claim is:

1. A portable steam generating apparatus comprising an elongated housing structure, aV steam generator in said housing structure, said housing structure including, a base having an end rest connected to the end of said housing structure-for supporting said housing structure in a verticalsteam-generating position, a'sled runner structure connected to the side of said housing structure and extending therealong for supporting said housing structure in a horizontal travelling position, said runner structure including runner supports secured to and extending outwardly from said housing structure, and runners mounted on said runner supports in spaced relationship with said housing structure, an axle swingably mounted on said housing structure for motion toward and away from said runner structure, and ground wheels mounted on said axle.

2. A portable steam generating apparatus comprising an elongated housing structure, a steam generator in said housing structure, said housing structure including, a base connected to the end of said housing'structure for supporting said housing structure in a vertical .steam-generating position, a sled runner structure connected'to the side of said housing structure and extending therealong for supporting said housing structure in a horizontal travelling position,.said runner structure including runner supports secured to and extending outwardly from said housing structure, and runners mounted on said runner supports in spaced relationship with said housing structure, an axle swingably mountedon said housing structure for motion toward and away from said runner structure, ground wheels mounted on .said axle, and a latch connected to said housing structure and .engageable with said axle for locking said Yaxle in its lowered position with said wheels disposed below said runner structure.

WILFRED G. CHAUSSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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